On Sunday (Nov. 25) we revisited the issue of insecurity and arrogance during the sermon. I said because insecurity and arrogance come from a reliance on self, the solution to the problem of insecurity and arrogance is to wait for the Lord, to be still and know that He is God. In the areas of life where we exhibit insecurity and arrogance, it is often the result of trying to make something happen in our own power or finding our identity in what we accomplish. God is encouraging us to trust him and cast our cares on him because he cares for us.
One more comment about waiting on the Lord is probably necessary. As we keep emphasizing during our study of 1 and 2 Samuel, it is only by looking at the heart can we truly know a person’s motivation.
For example, outwardly a person who is waiting on the Lord and a lazy person can look the same. They both may appear to be dragging their feet on making a decision or seemingly refusing to put forward the kind of human effort we think will make them successful. Likewise the person who is busy with activity may actually be submitting themselves to the Lord and obeying what he has told them to do. Or alternatively, a busy-looking person may simply be taking matters into their own hands. You can’t tell just by looking at outward activity.
How do we evaluate our lives in this area? It requires discernment and honesty. If we think that we can get by with just doing nothing – that’s laziness. If we are praying and actively listening to God before doing something – that’s waiting on the Lord. That is why there is not a list of outward activities that I am prescribing for waiting on the Lord, but rather an attitude of the heart.
If we trust God, know that he loves us, realize that he is our only hope and believe we should submit our will to his – the activities that spring from that attitude will be those consistent of waiting for the Lord. If we only give lip service to God, think that it takes too long or too much effort to follow God, or if we believe obeying God will only cause our lives to take a sharp turn towards miserable – then the activities that spring from that attitude will be consistent with looking to ourselves to solve our problems. As a result, all the insecurities and arrogance associated with such an attitude will be present.
I hope these additional thoughts on this very big and complex issue are helpful.
Blessings,
Jim